Thesaurus results for INSTEAD

instead

adverb

in-ˈsted

Definition of instead next

as in rather

as a substitute I was offered a ride, but I chose to walk instead

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of instead Smartphone users should avoid using flash and instead use night mode. —

Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026 Some readers suggested that Clark should never return, instead taking her ball and going overseas. —

Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026 Delle Donne originally committed to play her college basketball at UConn but chose instead to stay close to her Wilmington home at the University of Delaware. —

ABC News, 27 June 2026 Take a break from pasta salad and scoop up a garden-fresh vegetable casserole instead. —

Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for instead

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instead

rather

Adverb

Riff argued the issue to halt the payout was not a legal battle but rather a political one.

— Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
In a dissenting opinion by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Jackson argued the case is not about gun rights, but rather property rights, since there is no constitutional right to enter private property without permission.

— Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 25 June 2026